DEL MAR, Calif. – Martine Bellocq, who suffered severe burns in the wildfire that struck the San Luis Rey Downs training center last December, will be honored between races at Del Mar on Saturday with the Laffit Pincay Jr. Award.
The annual award is presented for meritorious service and dedication to racing, and is named in honor of the legendary Hall of Fame rider. Pincay is scheduled to present the award.
DEL MAR, Calf. – Wednesday was an eventful afternoon for trainer Neil Drysdale’s stable.
Around noon, the 5-year-old horse Cashman arrived at Del Mar from a quarantine facility in Los Angeles. Cashman, a minor stakes winner in Germany last month, will have his American debut in Saturday’s Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on turf.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – When Rushing Fall runs in Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Lake Placid Stakes, it will be her first start in more than three months. That was not by design.
After getting beat a neck in the Edgewood Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 4, Rushing Fall was removed from consideration for a trip to Royal Ascot in June. There was some thought about the Belmont Oaks in July, but trainer Chad Brown said he “didn’t feel like her energy level was where it needed to be.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Monomoy Girl left her Saratoga barn shortly after 5:45 a.m. Wednesday to begin her trip back to Kentucky, where the four-time Grade 1 winning 3-year-old filly will be based for the remainder of the summer. There is no truth to the rumor that Ken McPeek drove her to the airport.
Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico will put on 32 trial races for the $3 million All American Futurity for Quarter Horses between Friday and Saturday. The track drew 311 entrants to vie for the 10 spots in the finale Sept. 3.
There will be 16 trials apiece Friday and Saturday. The horses with the five fastest 440-yard times from each program will advance to the All American. First post for each card is 11 a.m. Mountain.
Friday’s program drew Sunnysyde, winner of the Grade 1, $1 million Heritage Place Futurity in June at Remington Park.
Jockey Timothy Thornton built his career in Illinois, but after a brief retirement decided to reboot in his native Louisiana. The decision has led to his best year in the saddle.
Thornton, 31, is the second-leading rider in wins in North America this year through Tuesday. He’s also on pace to win his second straight riding title at Evangeline Downs in Opelousas, La.
“I decided I might as well go home and give Louisiana a try, and Louisiana has been great,” he said.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Got Stormy, the winner of three consecutive turf stakes since early June, will not fly from Saratoga for Saturday’s Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks, trainer Mark Casse said on Wednesday.
“I had planned to send her but I thought she was a little on the flat side in the last few days,” he said. “I’m not going to fly her to California if I’m not 100 percent happy with her. I was kind of looking forward to going out there.”
DEL MAR, Calif. – Two years ago, Ashleyluvssugar was the top turf marathon runner in California, having won consecutive Grade 2 races at Del Mar and Santa Anita.
Now 7, Ashleyluvssugar is winless in three starts this year, at a mile and 1 1/16 miles, leaving questions as to whether the gelding can regain past glory. An appearance in Saturday’s Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on turf should provide answers.
Following Barkley’s 1 1/2-length win over Alert Bay in the Grade 3 Longacres Mile Sunday, his trainer Howard Belvoir said, “I am so high right now I’ll need a parachute to come down.”
“I’ve landed,” Belvoir said Wednesday morning. “That was a big one.”
Belvoir also said that Barkley came out of the race in excellent condition, but he wasn’t sure when the 5-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Munnings would make his next start.
Champagne Problems, winner of the Groupie Doll Stakes last Sunday at Ellis Park, could make her next start in the Locust Grove on opening weekend of the September meet at Churchill Downs, trainer Ian Wilkes said this week from Saratoga.
The Locust Grove, like the Groupie Doll, is a Grade 3, $100,000 race for fillies and mares. It will be run Sept. 15 at 1 1/16 miles.
